Rise Of The Planet Of The Apes (2011)

I saw this film last night at the movie theater. I have to say that it was really good. I can't compare it to the 1960s/70s movies since I only saw the first "Planet of the Apes" made in 1968 and the remake from 2001, but this one holds it's own. James Franco did a good job as both a man who is trying hard to help people (like his dad) with Alzheimer's as well as a scientist trying to make a name for himself.

I'm not sure why the film takes place in San Francisco though since in the 1968 and 2001 films don't they show a buried Statue of Liberty and that's how the main guy knows he isn't on another planet, but on Earth?

The computer-graphics made the apes look real, but at the same time not-real (if that makes sense.) I liked how the baby ape looked. It made me want to go out and get one for myself - I like monkeys!

All in all this was a good movie and people should watch it. I have included the other movies from the "Planet of the Apes" series to my Netflix so I can see how those stack up.

Berlin Wall Building At 50

From Deutsche Welle:

"Germany marks 50 years since building of the Berlin Wall"

Germany on Saturday commemorated the 50th anniversary of the construction of the Berlin Wall with a memorial service and a minute of silence in the capital in memory of those who died trying to flee to the West. German Chancellor Angela Merkel, who grew up in the East, President Christian Wulff and Berlin Mayor Klaus Wowereit attended a commemoration in the capital, followed by a church service at a chapel built where the Wall stood for almost three decades. "I myself, from when I was seven years old, can remember the horror that the building of the Wall created in my family," Merkel said in a statement. "We were torn from our aunts and grandparents. What is even more unforgettable for me is the happiness the fall of this appalling structure made us Germans feel in 1989." Flags flew at half mast on the parliament and church bells tolled at noon as Germans were called to observe a minute of silence in remembrance of the 136 people who are known to have died in Berlin while trying to cross the border. Historians say this number may have been as high at 700.

Berlin Mayor Klaus Wowereit said the Wall must not be forgotten. "The Wall was part of a dictatorial system, an unjust state," Wowereit said. "It illustrated the bankrupcy of a system people wanted out of. The Wall is now history, but it must not be forgotten. It is our responsibility to keep its memory alive and pass it on to future generations ... so that such injustices never repeat themselves," he added. In 1961, more than 2.5 million of East Germany's 19 million inhabitants had moved to the West. With thousands leaving every day, communist authorities feared the exodus would seriously undermine the state. On August 13, 1961, the East German regime began sealing their border. Soldiers blocked off the streets, cut off rail links and began building what was initially a barbed-wire fence.It became a wall which spread for nearly 160 kilometers (100 miles). In some cases, it cut straight through streets, neighborhoods and public spaces. Known in the East as the "anti-fascist protection wall," it became a symbol for the geographical, ideological and political divide between Europe's democratic West and the communist East controlled by the Soviet Union. The Wall finally fell on November 9, 1989, in a bloodless uprising which saw East Germans allowed to cross freely into the West for the first time in nearly three decades.

^ I have to mention that it seems odd to me that there are so many incidents and periods of modern German history where the first thing the current German Government has to mention is that they lived under a dictatorship and that all the crimes that happened should never be forgotten so they will never be repeated. I don't think there is any other "Western" country in the world that has to constantly say things like that. I guess it is something to stop and think about. As for the Berlin Wall, I do think the Western Allies - the US, the UK and France- gave up on a unified Berlin in 1961 just to appease the Soviet Union (and if history tells us nothing it is that appeasement does not work.) It was the wrong thing to do especially because we were supposed to be the champions of world freedom and individual choice. The fact that thousands of East Germans made their choice known when they left East Germany and went to the West - both before the Wall and after - shows we let them down. If the Western Allies did not want to help Berlin then we should have just left it all to the Soviets. Because we let the Soviets and East German Communists build and keep the Wall for 28 years we not only divided a city, but also are partly to blame for all the deaths that were caused by those who tried to flee. ^

http://www.dw-world.de/dw/article/0,,15314486,00.html

Tomorrow The World (1944)

I recently watched this movie. It about an 11 year old German boy who leaves Nazi Germany and moves to the United States to live with a friend of his father (both his parents are died.) The boy likes to wear his Hitler Youth uniform and preach his racially-motivated talk to everyone. In the end the boy comes to see how evil Nazism is and he changes for the better.

The movie is based on a Broadway play and the fact that it was made in 1944 when World War 2 was still going on is interesting in itself. It is one of the first movies that I know of that openly talk about concentration camps, how the Germans are treating the Jews and shows that the Germans can be reformed from their brain-washing. Some things that I found hypocritical are that while the characters bash the German boy for his racist views about Jews, Poles and others they do not mention that at the same time in the US Blacks were being treated in much the same way in the South (except without the death camps.) Japanese-Americans were also treated badly and interned. I guess since these didn't "help" the war effort it was ok to forget about them. I also didn't like that they called Sign Language the "Deaf and Dumb Language." I find it hard to consider a group of people that can't hear and yet creates an intricate language of their own to be dumb.

On the whole, the movie gives a basic insight into how the US wanted to portray itself both to it's citizens and to the world during World War 2.

One Step Against Obamacare

From Yahoo News:
"Appeals court rules against Obama healthcare mandate"

President Barack Obama's signature healthcare law suffered a setback on Friday when an appeals court ruled that it was unconstitutional to require all Americans to buy insurance or face a penalty. The U.S. Appeals Court for the 11th Circuit, based in Atlanta, ruled 2 to 1 that Congress exceeded its authority by requiring Americans to buy coverage, but it unanimously reversed a lower court decision that threw out the entire law. The legality of the individual mandate, a cornerstone of the healthcare law, is widely expected to be decided by the U.S. Supreme Court. Opponents have argued that without the mandate, which goes into effect in 2014, the entire law falls. Twenty-six states together had challenged the mandate, arguing that Congress had exceeded its authority by imposing such a requirement. But the Obama administration had argued it was legal under the Commerce Clause of the U.S. Constitution. A divided three-judge panel of the 11th Circuit found that it did not pass muster under that clause or under the power of Congress to tax. The administration has said the penalty for not buying healthcare coverage is akin to a tax. The 11th Circuit did not agree that the entire Obama healthcare law should be tossed out. Many provisions are already being implemented, including allowing children to stay on their parents' health insurance plan until age 26 and banning lifetime coverage limits.

^ I know this ruling doesn't finish anything, but it is a step in the right direction to getting Obamacare completely tossed out. Even Obama admits that without this clause - that every American be forced to get health insurance - his whole plan would fail. Why doesn't Obama stop and think that if Americans who don't have health insurance COULD afford to pay for health insurance they WOULD? It's not rocket-science. He is only going after the elderly, poor and disabled that aren't covered by health insurance or other programs. What idiot would think that forcing these people to pay for health insurance (with money they don't have) or get fined is a good idea? Apparently Obama. I hope this goes to the Supreme Court and they throw it out. I am all for giving every American free health care that the government pays for, but forcing every American to pay for everything themselves is just plain stupid especially with a bad economy. ^

http://news.yahoo.com/appeals-court-rules-against-obama-healthcare-law-171829777.html

MHT's Scanners

FRom WMUR NH:
"Full-Body Scanners Coming To Manchester Airport"

Manchester Boston Regional Airport will soon be getting full-body scanners in time for the holiday season, according to the Transportation Security Administration. The scanners have been controversial because they take an X-ray image that some say shows too much. The TSA said it is addressing privacy concerns with update software that shows less detail. "The image is always deleted after it's evaluated. Once the person is clear, the officer presses delete. It can't be recalled, saved, printed," said Ann Davis, from the TSA. Those who don't want to go through the scanners can still opt out and get a pat-down instead.

^ This is the closet airport to where I live and I try to use it whenever I can (especially considering the next closest airport to me is Boston.) I have never had any issues with the TSA at Manchester - knock on wood - and hope that with the new scanners that trend will continue. I don't mind using the full-body scanners. I went through them in Boston. My issues is when you go through the full-body scanner and then the TSA give you the full pat-down because you wore a belt. Can't the scanner see under a belt? That's what happened to me at Boston. The TSA says they will start using new software that will make the scanners more private so that and some common sense from the TSA at the airports should make things better. I just hope they don't get worse at MHT. ^

http://www.wmur.com/news/28846924/detail.html#ixzz1UvTbjXte

Liberty Closing

From Yahoo News:
"Statue of Liberty to close for yearlong renovation"

The Statue of Liberty will close for a year at the end of October as it undergoes a $27.25 million renovation that will make the interior safer and more accessible, U.S. Secretary of the Interior Ken Salazar announced Wednesday. The renovations, however, are limited to the monument, and Liberty Island will remain open and the statue itself will be mostly unobstructed from view, officials said in a statement.

The National Parks Service, which manages the Statue of Liberty National Monument and Ellis Island, said it will close the monument on Oct. 28, after the 125th anniversary of its dedication. It will be closed the following day, and workers from Joseph Construction Corp. of Pine Brook, N.J., will install "code-complaint" stairways and upgrade electrical and fire suppression systems, elevators and bathrooms. The National Parks Service controls the number of visitors to the crown, saying about 240 people visit each day. About 3.5 million people visit the monument every year.

^ It seems that they are constantly closing the Statue of Liberty. First it was closed for years after 9/11 and then the crown was closed and now this. It seems a little over-kill and lack of planning. I went inside the Statue once - before 9/11 - and it was alright. I guess it is just better to take a picture of the Statue rather than going inside. ^

http://news.yahoo.com/statue-liberty-close-yearlong-renovation-022633765.html

TSA Vs Insulin

From Russia Today:
"TSA takes insulin from pregnant woman"

Every time you think that the TSA has hit the bottom, they manage to hit a new low. This time a Denver couple has filed a formal grievance toward the security agency for seizing doses of insulin from a mother-to-be at Denver International Airport.

"It made me feel upset and made me feel somewhat helpless," said Aaron Nieman, husband of the alleged victim, to the ABC affiliate in Denver. The couple argued that they have traveled the world by plane and have never had an issue with their medical supplies. The incident occurred when Mrs. Nieman was traveling unaccompanied to a baby shower in Phoenix. She was questioned about her items by a TSA agent while going through a security screening. The pregnant mother came prepared if a situation like this were to occur with a doctor’s letter explaining her health condition, but according to the TSA agent Mrs. Niewman was a risk. "I got a bottle of nail polish. I got hair spray bottles. I got needles that are syringes. But yet I can't take through my actual insulin?” she told the ABC affiliate she had asked the agent. “This is a risk for explosives,” the TSA agent allegedly told her. According to Niewman the prescription was properly labeled, but she was still baffled as to why her insulin would be taken away. Despite the TSA agents efforts she was able to get half a vial through security."It was at the bottom of my lunch box…they didn't search it all the way through.” she explained to the media.

^ I think this is completely disgusting. I double-checked the TSA's website and it DOES allow all forms of insulin and needles - when you have the insulin. I have flown all over the world (including Denver)and dealt with many stupid TSA people. I know that if they tried that crap with my I would have raised holy hell. People need to know their rights and need to stand up for those rights when others try to take them away. This incident is clearly an abuse of power on the part of the TSA person. I honestly hope this person is filed and can't get a job anywhere. I have taken all the tests to be employed by the TSA and know first-hand what is required. These are simply under-trained, mostly un-educated people who have a little bit of power. ^

http://rt.com/usa/news/tsa-insulin-agent-denver/

English Riots

From Yahoo News:
"Riots hit UK economy, from corner shops to tourism"

Stores smashed and looted by rampaging mobs, buildings in flames — the damage was to London and other English cities, but the images were beamed around the world.Four days of riots have already cost businesses and insurers hundreds of millions of dollars. The cost to Britain's reputation — and its lucrative tourist trade in the runup to the 2012 Olympic Games — may be incalculable. London's historic center, visited by millions of tourists a year, has been almost untouched by the riots which hit a handful of inner-city and suburban areas. That hasn't stopped images of flaming buildings and shattered shops under headlines like "London's burning" flashing around the globe.

^ This is just plain sad. London has survived: the Great Fire, the German Blitz, IRA attacks and attacks from Al-Qaida and now a bunch of stupid, bored people are destroying the city and other parts of the country. One of my British friends said that the rioters should be sent to Afghanistan because then they could see what it really feels like to be in a war zone. I will take that a step further and say that all the rioters should be sent to live in Third World countries so they can see firsthand just what they have versus what many people around the world have. There is no excuse for these attacks. I don't understand why the British police (especially in London) were not able to regain control after the first, second, third, etc days of the riots. As I said above the city has gone through a lot and the most recent in 2005 so you would expect the police force of a national capital to have the training and man-power to stop something like this right away. The Olympics are next year and if I was going I would worry that the British police are not prepared. They can't even control rioting teenagers so why should we believe they can stop terrorists or any other kind of violence? If these kinds of riots happened in the US I would expect our police to be able to control the situation quickly. ^

http://news.yahoo.com/riots-hit-uk-economy-corner-shops-tourism-164510953.html

The Fire Escape Is Locked For Your Safety

This book is about Molly Baier travelling throughout the former Soviet Union in the mid 1990s. She went to: the Ukraine, Belarus, Latvia, Lithuania, Estonia and Russia. She spoke fluent Russian and so didn't have the language-barrier that most non-Russian speakers do in the former USSR. Her book showed many similarities that many foreigners encounter (including myself.) While I never personally stayed in a Russian or other former Soviet hotel I have heard many stories from friends that have and it seems to fit exactly with what Baier experienced. I especially liked the excuses the hotel officials give as to why the fire escapes are locked (hence the title.)If there is a fire then the floor woman will have the key and unlock it to let you escape to safety. If you question the floor woman's authority then you question everything in society. This one example shows the true mentality of the Soviet system that continues to plague the former USSR.

The overt corruption found in all levels (from the hotel floor women, to the police, OVIR - visa registration office, etc) is also a major stumbling block for true change to occur. Everyone wants to have his/her own little bit of power and will do whatever it takes to hold onto that authority.

Along with the overt corruption is the overt discrimination (at least in Russia.) As the book states, numerous times, there is a 3-tier pricing system on everything from trains to concerts. The Russians pay the lowest rate, former Soviets the middle rate and all other foreigners pay a rate that can be 150% more than what the ordinary Russian pays - and yet the service and quality is the same.

This book shows how Russia and most of the former Soviet Union was in the mid to late 1990s and how it continues today. You get a glimpse into the mindset that can be found from Kaliningrad to Vladivostok. On paper things may seem to have changed (especially since it has been 20 years since the Soviet Union collapsed) but reality is completely different.

Hybrids Vs Handicapped

From The Union Leader:
"Hybrids trump handicapped at liquor store"

Three reserved parking spaces for hybrid and low-emission cars at the new $3.3 million state liquor store are located closer to the store’s main entrance than the handicapped parking spots, causing at least one lawmaker to call the design a slap in the face to the disabled. “To choose to display such blatant priority for special interests over seniors, wounded veterans and others who have mobility difficulty is deplorable,” said state Rep. Peter Silva of Nashua. “The (liquor) commission owes the public an explanation as well as a plan to remedy this situation immediately.” On Friday, House Speaker William O’Brien sent a letter to the New Hampshire Liquor Commission questioning why it favors hybrid cars over drivers with physical disabilities. “It appears to favor publicity over reality and concern for special interests over concern for the disabled,” O’Brien wrote in his letter addressed to Joseph Mollica, chairman of the liquor commission. The handicapped spaces, according to Mollica, are placed between the front entrance of the store and the public restroom entry at the rear of the facility, which is also a high-traffic area. Silva said: “While many environmentalists have hailed the use of these vehicles as beneficial, there is no documented reason why those consumers who own these automobiles would have any difficulty walking from other areas of the parking lot to gain entry into the liquor facility,” argues O’Brien in his letter to Mollica. “For individuals with handicapped tags, this is a very different story.”

Nashua Mayor Donnalee Lozeau admits that the design concept at the liquor store is unique, and while she appreciates the concern, she believes that disabled residents are being provided with appropriate access the way it is currently laid out. “I am confident that the state and the city have made every effort to make sure the handicap spaces do not disadvantage anyone,” Lozeau said, maintaining that Nashua’s liquor store is one of the busiest in the state, and that many people use the public restrooms there without any intention of purchasing alcohol. Gov. John Lynch’s press secretary referred all questions to the liquor commission.

^ I don't see why the State Liquor Store can't have handicapped parking both in front of the store as well as by the restroom instead of in-between them. I completely agree that no Federal or State building (and in this case the State Liquor Store is owned by the State of New Hampshire)should give priority to anyone except the disabled. While it may be environmentally good to use a hybrid that doesn't mean the people inside the car can't walk the same distance as everyone else. If the hybrid car has a handicapped decal then there would be no problem. I think it is wrong for Gov. Lynch's office to send all questions to the Liquor Commission as his (the Governor's) office is the highest in the State and oversees all State Departments and Agencies within New Hampshire - ie the State Liquor Store/Liquor Commission. Too many people/groups/organizations around the country openly discriminate against the disabled despite the Federal laws preventing it. The laws mean nothing if they are not enforced and people/organizations involved not prosecuted then nothing will ever change and we will continue to treat the disabled as second-class citizens. ^

http://www.unionleader.com/article/20110806/NEWS07/708069993

US Credit Lowered

From USA Today:
"S&P downgrades U.S. credit rating from AAA"

The U.S. lost its esteemed AAA credit rating after being downgraded by Standard & Poor's Friday, eroding the elite standing it has held in global markets for more than 70 years. The nation's credit rating was cut to AA+ after S&P said the compromise made by Congress and President Obama this week to cut spending and boost the debt ceiling "falls short of what, in our view, would be necessary to stabilize the government's medium-term debt dynamics." "We lowered our long-term rating on the U.S. because we believe that the prolonged controversy over raising the statutory debt ceiling and the related fiscal policy debate indicate that further near-term progress containing the growth in public spending, especially on entitlements, or on reaching an agreement on raising revenues is less likely than we previously assumed and will remain a contentious and fitful process," the ratings firm said. The U.S. Treasury tried to get S&P to reconsider its ratings downgrade Friday. Treasury officials pointed out that S&P's original analysis of the debt deal's $2 trillion in savings was flawed. The rating agency adjusted its analysis but still downgraded the U.S.' credit rating, according to a government official familiar with the matter. The source declined to be identified because he was not authorized to speak on the record.

^ I don't know who S&P are or why they get the authority to issue credit ratings to countries (or Moody's.) I have heard a lot of different views on what the downgrade really means. Some people say it won't do much and others say we will be back to a barter system. I guess the only thing to do now is wait and see. ^

http://www.usatoday.com/money/economy/2011-08-05-s-and-p-downgrades-credit_n.htm

Soldiers' Benefit Reductions

From Yahoo News:

"US troop retirement, healthcare may be cut"

Cuts in health care, retirement and benefits for the military are all potential targets for cuts as America struggles to rein in spending, the top U.S. military officer told anxious troops on two warfronts. Adm. Mike Mullen, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, said that while the costs of the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan are going down as U.S. forces withdraw over the next few years, the latest debt agreement will demand defense cuts. Nothing is off the table, he said. From the Marines battling a fierce insurgency in southwestern Afghanistan to soldiers packing up to leave Iraq, troops quizzed Mullen about rumors that military retirement benefits and health care would be affected as part of the debt compromise being hammered out in Congress. "If we're going to cut spending, we have to go where the money is," Mullen told several hundred troops gathered at the Al Faw Palace on the soon-to-be-shuttered Camp Victory outside Baghdad on Tuesday morning. Well more than half of the defense budget, he said, is spent on personnel issues, ranging from pay and benefits to bonuses used to recruit and retain needed expertise. While acknowledging he still did not know the total cut in defense spending that will be required by the legislative package, Mullen repeated his contention that the debt is one of the biggest threats to national security. But he vowed that Pentagon leaders will continue to ensure that troops on the front lines get the equipment and services they need to fight, and that any cuts will be done carefully. "I have an expectation that there will be defense cuts as part of this," said Mullen. "I just don't know what those will be." In response to direct questions about retirement benefits from troops, Mullen said he does not expect immediate changes. Currently, military members who retire after 20 years receive 50 percent of their pay, and that percentage inches up as additional years of service are tacked on. About 13 percent of those who enlist actually make it to the 20-year mark. Cuts to retirement and other benefits have long been avoided by Congress members leery of going after the troops they send to war. But Mullen said the chiefs of the military services have talked about the issue, and he said there may be a review of those issues. He said the service chiefs would recommend that if such a change were considered, troops with some years of military service would be grandfathered in, so they would not be affected. He did not specify how many years of service that would be. While promising a balanced approach that looks at spending on military people, operations and equipment, Mullen predicted that bonuses will be harder to get and poor-performing procurement programs will be eliminated.

^ I don't understand how the Federal Government can think of making military cuts while we are still actively involved in Iraq, Afghanistan and Libya. No cuts should be made or considered unless/until the soldiers are withdrawn from the war zones (all of them.) By cutting spending now while we are in 3 wars stretches our forces even more to the extreme. As for cutting retirement benefits I think that all those that are currently in the military or are in when/if the new rules are made official should be "grandfathered" in and receive the benefits they were promised when they enlisted. It is one thing to change the rules and make those that enlist after the fact comply with them and another one to take them away from those that were promised one thing and are then given sub-standard benefits. The Federal Government, military and American public do very little as it is to help soldiers and their families. We should be doing more and not less to support the men and women who keep us safe. ^

http://news.yahoo.com/us-troop-retirement-healthcare-may-cut-181956874.html

Logan's SPOT

From The Boston Herald:
"TSA to put Hub fliers on the spot"

Boston’s TSA screeners — part of a security force whose competency has come under fire nationwide — soon will be carrying out sophisticated behavioral inspections under a first-in-the-nation program that’s already raising concerns of racial profiling, harassment of innocent travelers and longer lines. The training for the Israeli-style screening — a projected $1 billion national program dubbed Screening Passengers by Observation Techniques — kicks off today at Logan International Airport and will be put to use in Terminal A on Aug. 15. It requires screeners to make quick reads of whether passengers pose a danger or a terror threat based on their reactions to a set of routine questions. But security experts wonder whether Transportation Safety Administration agents are up to the challenge. “I’m not convinced that the TSA has good enough people to make the Israeli approach work on a large scale,” said Glenn Reynolds, a University of Tennessee law professor. Under the SPOT program, as passengers hand over their boarding passes and identification, specially trained agents will ask three to four questions — from “Where have you been?” to “Do you have a business card?” and “Where are you traveling?” — while looking for “micro expressions,” such as lack of eye contact, that might hint at nefarious intent. Suspicious individuals will be pulled aside for more questioning, full-body scans and pat-downs. If the encounter escalates, agents will call in state police. At Logan, about 70 agents — all with college degrees — are undergoing training by an international consulting firm that includes a four-day classroom course and 24 hours of on-the-job experience.

^ I have my doubts that this program will work - especially at Logan. I have flown in/out of Logan many times and have dealt with very stupid TSA people including supervisors - especially in Terminal E (the International Terminal.) I don't really think a 4 day course is long enough to make these people experts in following the proven Israeli method. As to my answers to the 3 questions I could be asked: "Home", "No" and "Outta here." I wonder if that would get me extra screening. On a serious note: I will try and keep an eye on whether this program works or not. Hopefully it will work and the security at Logan (and elsewhere in the US) will be improved along with Customer Relations between the public and the TSA. ^

http://www.bostonherald.com/news/regional/view.bg?articleid=1355725

Itay's Veil Ban

From the BBC News:
"Italian committee approves face veil ban bill"

An Italian parliamentary committee has passed a draft law which will ban women from wearing veils which cover their faces in public. The bill, which has the backing of Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi's central-right coalition, would prohibit the wearing of a burka, niqab or any headwear which covers the face. Belgium and France have already banned the full-face veil in public. If passed, those who defied the ban would face a fine of 150-300 euros ($213-426; £130-260) and some kind of community service, according to Ansa news agency. For those who forced someone else to wear the covering, the penalty would be 30,000 euros and up to 12 months in jail, Ansa reports.

^ I have said it before and I will continue to say it. I completely agree with countries (like Belgium and France) that ban the veil and fully support others (like Italy) that want to do the same. It is not a question of being Anti-Muslim - since many Muslim countries - like Turkey - limit the veil and/or burqa in their country. It is a question of basic human rights and public safety. I hope the US will see all the countries that are or planning to ban the veil in public and enact the same laws here. ^

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-14380793

Debt Deal Official

From Yahoo News:
"Obama signs debt bill after final Senate vote"

The Senate emphatically passed emergency legislation Tuesday to avoid a first-ever government default, rushing the legislation to President Barack Obama for his signature just hours before the deadline. The vote was 74-26. Obama signed the bill little more than an hour later. Tuesday's vote capped an extraordinarily difficult Washington battle pitting tea party Republican forces in the House against Obama and Democrats controlling the Senate. The resulting compromise paired an essential increase in the government's borrowing cap with promises of more than $2 trillion of budget cuts over the next decade. Many supporters of the legislation lamented what they saw as flaws and the intense partisanship from which it was forged. In the end, it was a lowest-common-denominators approach that puts off tough decisions on tax increases and cuts to entitlement programs like Medicare. The measure would provide an immediate $400 billion increase in the $14.3 trillion U.S. borrowing cap, with $500 billion more assured this fall. That $900 billion would be matched by cuts to agency budgets over the next 10 years.

^ Well it's now official. I don't think this deal does anything major (except stop the US from defaulting on it's loans.) The major issues of Medicare cuts and taxes were pushed to the back burner. We still need to keep Obama, the Democrats and the Republicans accountable for putting us in this situation in the first place - the first time in our nation's history. I hope that the new government committee will be able to tackle the major issues, but I am not going to hold my breath. ^

http://news.yahoo.com/obama-signs-debt-bill-final-senate-vote-180918112.html

US Troop Strength

People (especially ordinary Americans) tend to forget just how many soldiers are in the US military and how many are both in war zones as well as those stationed overseas. Here are some numbers (they do not include their families stationed with them.)

Combat zones

Iraq - 45,600 US personnel as of December 31, 2010.

Afghanistan – 103,700 US personnel as of December 31, 2010.

Libya - 8,500 US personnel as of May 22, 2011.

Africa

Djibouti, Africa – 3,500

Kenya - 42

Egypt (Cairo) – 52

Egypt (Sinai Desert) - 500

Asia

South Korea – 28,500

Japan – 32,803

Philippines - 95

Diego Garcia - 311

Jakarta, Indonesia - 27

Singapore – 125

Thailand – 96

Malaysia - 15

Oceania

Australia - 140

Marshall Islands - 17

New Zealand - 5

Europe

Germany – 53,951

Souda Bay, Greece - 386

Italy – 9,855

United Kingdom – 9,825

Spain – 1,286

Norway - 81

Sweden - 12

Belgium – 1,328

Portugal – 826

Netherlands – 579

Greece – 363

Greenland - 126

France - 55

Poland - 100

Turkey – 1,594

Kosovo - 830

Middle East

Qatar – 8,029

Bahrain – 1,495

Kuwait - 10,548

Oman - 36

United Arab Emirates - 96

Western Hemisphere

Antigua - 2

Colombia - 123

Saint Helena - 3

Guantanamo Bay, Cuba – 932

Netherlands Antilles - 10

United States

There are 1,084,548 personnel on active duty in the United States and its territories:

Contiguous United States – 882,201

Transients – 52,527

Hawaii – 34,838

Guam – 2,836

Puerto Rico - 137

Alaska – 19,408

^ People should remember that each number is a person that is putting their life on the line so we can go about our everyday lived. ^

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_States_military_deployments

US Free Control

From Yahoo News:
"U.S. says insurers must fully cover birth control"

U.S. health insurance companies must fully cover women's birth control and other preventive health care services under Obama administration rules released on Monday.

The mandate from the Health and Human Services Department represents a landmark decision in a decades-long debate on women's health issues that has pitted family planning groups against conservative organizations. The guidelines, a product of last year's healthcare overhaul, go into effect on Monday, and require insurers to do away with co-payments on coverage of preventive care services for women in all new plans beginning in August 2012. The newly required coverage also includes free screenings for gestational diabetes, testing for human papillomavirus in women over 30, counseling for HIV and sexually transmitted infections, and screening for domestic violence.

^ I agree with all but one of the new coverages entitled to women. I do not believe that women should get free birth control and that we have to pay for it (mainly through government insurance for those on Mediaid to those on welfare.) If a woman can't afford her own birth control then she shouldn't be having sex. The other mandated coverages make complete sense since they are about the physical or emotional health of the woman, but the free birth control doesn't fit in either of those categories. I believe that birth control should be legal and available to women 18 and up, but not that it should be free and taxpayers have to pay for others' sex life. ^

http://news.yahoo.com/federal-health-department-approves-free-birth-control-women-

Kalinigrad EU Permits

From the Moscow Times:
"EU Proposes Simplifying Travel From Kaliningrad"

The European Commission has proposed making it easier for Kaliningrad residents to visit relatives and do business in the EU border region, the European Union executive said Friday. Kaliningrad, which has a population of nearly 1 million, became the only such exclave within the EU when a 2004 EU enlargement brought in both Poland and Lithuania. The European Commission has proposed allowing the states bordering Kaliningrad to negotiate bilateral agreements to make border crossings easier for people living within 30 to 50 kilometers of the EU frontier. This would involve issuing special permits for regular crossings instead of visas, for which fees could be waived. "All people living within the Kaliningrad enclave will enjoy the benefits of this amendment," commission spokesman Michele Cercone said. "Usually they have the necessity for family, cultural or economic reasons to move across the border quite often; sometimes for a few hours, sometimes for a few days." Four similar local border traffic agreements are already in force, covering Hungary and Ukraine, Slovakia and Ukraine, Poland and Ukraine and Romania and Moldova. Others covering Poland and Belarus, Latvia and Belarus, Lithuania and Belarus, and Norway and Russia are expected to enter into force soon.

^ I can understand Kalinigrad residents getting free permits to visit family in Lithuania, Latvia and Estonia (since there were once part of the Soviet Union and now are in the EU and Schengen Area) and for transmitting to Russia proper - through Poland, but other than that I don't believe they should get any other special privileges unless ALL Russians get the same visa-free status. I don't see that happening anytime soon - either from the EU or the US. The free permits shouldn't include travel to all the Schengen countries (like I said above only the border countries.) ^

http://www.themoscowtimes.com/news/article/eu-proposes-simplifying-travel-from-kaliningrad/441357.html

A Debt Deal?

From Yahoo News:
"Obama, Congress reach a debt deal"

Ending a perilous stalemate, President Barack Obama announced agreement Sunday night with Republican congressional leaders on a compromise to avoid the nation's first-ever financial default. The deal would cut more than $2 trillion from federal spending over a decade. Default "would have had a devastating effect on our economy," Obama said at the White House, relaying the news to the American people and financial markets around the world. He thanked the leaders of both parties. House Speaker John Boehner telephoned Obama at mid-evening to say the agreement had been struck, officials said. No votes were expected in either house of Congress until Monday at the earliest, to give rank-and-file lawmakers time to review the package. But leaders in both parties were already beginning the work of rounding up votes. In a conference call with his rank and file, Boehner said the agreement "isn't the greatest deal in the world, but it shows how much we've changed the terms of the debate in this town." Obama underscored that point. He said that, if enacted, the agreement would mean "the lowest level of domestic spending since Dwight Eisenhower was president" more than a half century ago. Senate Democratic leader Harry Reid provided the first word of the agreement. "Sometimes it seems our two sides disagree on almost everything," he said. "But in the end, reasonable people were able to agree on this: The United States could not take the chance of defaulting on our debt, risking a United States financial collapse and a world-wide depression."

^ I still won't believe it until it is signed and made official. It is very disgusting that Obama, the Democrats and the Republicans have stalled for so long and caused so much grief for ordinary Americans (not to mention the soldiers and their families that live paycheck-by-paycheck.)Hopefully, it will pass and will be a good compromise. ^

http://news.yahoo.com/obama-congress-reach-debt-deal-003853348.html

The Trench (1999)

This is a movie about the Battle of the Somme during World War 1. It focuses on the British soldiers waiting in the trenches for the assault to start and all the different things that each soldier went through. It has a star cast: Paul Nicholls, Cillian Murphy and Daniel Craig.

Even though the film does not really show the actual fighting at the Somme, it does portray the thoughts and emotions that soldiers go through during war - especially right before a battle. War movies always show things in a patriotic and often unrealistic way, but this one shows the good and the bad.

Walter Reed Closed

From Yahoo News:
"Walter Reed to close after more than a century"

Walter Reed Army Medical Center, the Army's flagship hospital where privates to presidents have gone for care, is closing its doors after more than a century. Hundreds of thousands of the nation's war wounded from World War I to today have received treatment at Walter Reed, including 18,000 troops who served in Iraq and Afghanistan. President Dwight Eisenhower died there. So did Gens. John J. Pershing and Douglas MacArthur. It's where countless celebrities, from Bob Hope to quarterback Tom Brady, have stopped to show their respect to the wounded. Through the use of medical diplomacy, the center also has tended to foreign leaders.

^ With the closing of Walter Reed we need to remember that there are still thousands of soldiers who get wounded in Iraq, Afghanistan and other places around the world that need the best medical care the US can provide. It seems that military and government officials are so eager to send troops away from home to keep us safe and then do very little to support them and their families - especially if they get wounded. From the minute a person joins the military until they die (whether on the battlefield or from old age) the US should give them access to everything that they and their families will need to truly make them the elite military force of the world. The US is the only superpower left and to treat soldiers, vets and their families to second-rate care is disgusting. ^

http://news.yahoo.com/walter-reed-close-more-century-123205077.html

Royal Mail Delivery

From the BBC:
"Royal Mail wants to be able to leave post next door"

It wishes to trial the idea for mail that is too large to post through a letter-box, and for some post that requires a signature.Special delivery mail will not be included in the planned pilot scheme. Watchdog Consumer Focus said that while some consumers would welcome the idea of being able to have mail left with a neighbour, "worryingly there is no opt-out option"."For many people having their mail left with a neighbour they do not know, or might not trust, could open the door to problems," said its director of post, Robert Hammond. At present, postmen and women have to take items of mail back to their delivery office if the named recipient is not at home and the items cannot fit it through the letter box, or require a signature.

^ If I was British (or the USPS tried this in the US) I would be completely against it. It is one thing to have a customer that doesn't mind if a package is left with their neighbor to go to their Post Office and sign a form allowing the Post Office to do just that and another to force everyone to do it. I live on a small mountain road in the middle of nowhere and don't know my neighbors and wouldn't want anything sent to them. I can't imagine many people in cities would want to do the same. This just seems like a stupid idea that will cause more problems for everyone. ^

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-14346271

A Medical FICO?

From Yahoo Finance:
"New medical FICO score sparks controversy, questions"

Within the next 12 months, whether you like it or not, about 10 million Americans are expected to be scored -- much like a credit score -- on how likely they are to fill a prescription and take all the pills the doctor ordered, on schedule. FICO , creator of the widely used credit score that predicts whether you'll borrow responsibly, is now rolling out its new Medication Adherence Score. FICO based its score on a formula that predicts whether you will take your prescription drugs. FICO says that since correct use of medication is important for patients, medical providers, insurers and pharmaceutical companies, the Medication Adherence Score will help achieve that goal. They predict it will improve therapy effectiveness and reduce health care costs.

^ This seems like a complete waste of time and resources. ^

http://finance.yahoo.com/news/New-medical-FICO-score-sparks-creditcards-1400615100.html?x=0

USPS Closings

From USA Today:
"Postal Service lists 3,700 branches for possible closing"

The Postal Service is looking at about 3,700 post offices with low sales and few customers for possible elimination as early as January, Postmaster General Patrick Donahoe said Tuesday. Most of those under review take in less than $27,500 a year and have only enough customers and mail to keep them busy two hours a day, Donahoe said. Proposals to close any of its estimated 31,000 post offices often meet strong resistance from communities and their representatives in Congress. In January, the Postal Service named 1,400 post offices it wanted to close; 280 are gone. As it closes branches, the Postal Service plans to set up what it calls "village post offices" in supermarkets and gas stations to provide basic services such as stamps and flat-rate package shipping. The Postal Service has cut 110,000 jobs and reduced costs by $11 billion since 2008 to offset a sharp drop in mail as people do more business online. Still, the Postal Service projects a deficit this year of $8.3 billion. First-class mail, one of the largest revenue sources, declined from 103.7 billion pieces in 2001 to 78.2 billion pieces in 2010.

^ I think the USPS should follow Canada Post's example (although without the strikes.) In Canada they use regular businesses for all their services. You can mail anything anywhere you want. The "Village Post Offices" that the USPS wants would only sell stamps and take flat-rate boxes. I don't see why they can't provide all the services that the USPS offers. The USPS still needs to do a lot more than close stores and create VPOs. They need to modernize their staff and equipment and work on Customer Service. No one will continue using the USPS if a letter or box takes a long time to get someplace, costs a lot to send it and then you have to deal with an idiot USPS employee on top of that. I prefer getting and sending regular mail (especially to my dad in Iraq or when my brother was in Iraq and then Afghanistan.) Mail to APO/FPOs should be much cheaper since they are working outside the US to keep us safe - some are even in war zones and risk their lives everyday. Also many people don't know that mail to an APO/FPO address is only handled by the USPS to either New York City or San Francisco and then it is given to the military where it goes to the actual location. Therefore APO/FPO addressed mail should be much cheaper if not free. ^

http://www.usatoday.com/money/economy/2011-07-27-usps-post-office-closing-list_n.htm

Kid Free Places

From Shine:
"The no-kids-allowed movement is spreading"

What's the matter with kids today and why doesn't anyone want them around? In June, Malaysia Airlines banned babies from many of their first class cabins, prompting other major airlines to consider similar policies.Lately, complaints about screaming kids are being taken seriously, not only by airlines, but by hotels, movie theaters, restaurants, and even grocery stores. Traveling is one thing, but what about in kids' own hometowns? Should kids been banned from local movie theaters, like they were at a recent adults-only Harry Potter screening? In Texas, one cinema chain has even flipped the model, banning kids under six altogether, except on specified "baby days".Most parents with young children have self-imposed limits on spending and leisure. This new movement imposes limits set by the public. And the public isn't as child-friendly as it used to be. As businesses respond to their new breed of 'first-class' clientele, are parents in danger of becoming second-class citizens?

^ I really like this new trend. I do not see why people who are out in public need to deal with other people's kids - especially when they are acting up. The majority of parents today barely watch or pay attention to their kids. It is one thing to be on an airplane/in a store with a kid that is acting out and the parent is trying hard to get them under control and another for the kid to act out and the parent is too "busy" talking with friends to care. I have seen the latter many times - on planes, in stores, restaurants, etc. There are enough kid-friendly places that cater towards families and if I go to one of those places I would expect to see and hear children - although parents still need to keep some control. I don't think I should have to do the same at movies, in regular restaurants, stores, etc. I am not against children, but parents nowadays are becoming very lazy and let their kids go crazy in public. When I was a kid if we went out public and I started acting up then my mom or dad would immediately take me out of the situation and punish me. Then I would only be allowed back if I behaved. ^

http://shine.yahoo.com/channel/parenting/the-no-kids-allowed-movement-is-spreading-2516110/

Mrs. Tuesday's Departure

I read this book on my Kindle and have to say that it was pretty bad. Even though it doesn't come out and say it the book is about the German Occupation of Hungary during World War 2. References are used to describe all the different aspects of the war such as calling the Jews the Wanted, etc. It does mention the ghetto, the labor and death camps by name though. I know the book is set in Hungary because of the roundabout way they describe historical references such as Raoul Wallenberg giving Swedish protection passports and how the Allies are winning the war.

The book deals with a set of twins (one who has gone insane and one normal one)who are Catholic and how how they each deal with the war. The insane twin lives in a world of make-believe while the normal one has to struggle with life in wartime while at the same time keeping her niece (who is a Wanted - ie a Jew) away from the Black and Reds - ie the Nazis. I am not sure how the niece and her mother can be Jewish and the twins aren't, but that is a minor detail. The niece and insane twin are captured by the Nazis and sent to the ghetto in order to get information from a man who loves the normal twin. The man and the sane twin make an agreement with the Nazis to provide the information for the niece and insane twin. When they go to the ghetto to get them they are being put on the cattle cars. The sane twin gets the niece released and when she can't find her sister she opts to go on the train to the death camp - where she meets up with her sister and they both die in the gas chambers. The niece survives the war and goes to the US and tells the story of her twin aunts.

The book has historical relevance, but the way it is written makes it very confusing and puts the reader off the main storyline. It was a good concept that just didn't do well in print.

Norway Attacks

From Deutsche Welle:
"Tributes paid at Oslo memorial service for terror victims"

Norway's prime minister and royal family led mourners at Oslo Cathedral on Sunday in a service for the 93 victims of Friday's shooting spree and bomb attack. Leading the tributes, Norwegian Prime Minister Jens Stoltenberg told the congregation that the country was "struggling to understand the scale" of the disaster. He said the names and photographs of those who died would soon be released and "the scale of the evil will then emerge." Members of the victims' family and several of the young survivors were among those in the Oslo congregation. The memorial service was attended by politicians, survivors and victims' family

^ It seems to me that the Norwegian Police should be found negligent in their response since it took them over an hour (from when they got the first call) to arrive at the island because they had no transportation - boat or helicopter. You would think that in a country like Norway where there are lots of islands and fjords, etc the police would have a means to get to an island without needing to wait for something bad to happen and then try to get the transportation needed. Who knows how many young people could have been saved had the police arrived in a timely fashion. ^

http://www.dw-world.de/dw/article/0,,15262597,00.html

Obama Signs DADT Repeal

From Yahoo News:
"Obama ends gays in military ban"

President Barack Obama on Friday formally signed off on ending the ban on gays serving openly in the military, doing away with a policy that's been controversial from the day it was enacted and making good on his 2008 campaign promise to the gay community. The president joined Defense Secretary Leon Panetta and Adm. Mike Mullen, the joint chiefs of staff chairman, in signing a notice and sending it to Congress certifying that military readiness would not be hurt by repealing the 17-year-old "don't ask, don't tell" policy. That means that 60 days from now the ban will be lifted. As of September 20th, service members will no longer be forced to hide who they are in order to serve our country." The Pentagon is expected to spend the next 60 days preparing the troops for the change, and ironing out legal and technical details, including how it will affect housing, military transfers and other health and social benefits. In most cases, the guidelines require that gays and lesbians be treated like any other member of the military.There will be differences, however. Same sex partners will not get the same housing and other benefits as married couples. Instead, they are more likely to be treated like unmarried couples.

^ It seems that every other day you hear that DADT is repealed then put on hold, etc. I guess this means it is official (well as of September 20th.) Hopefully the DOMA will also be repealed and the gay soldiers and their families be treated equally. ^

http://news.yahoo.com/obama-ends-gays-military-ban-203149906.html

New TSA Scanners

From USA Today:
"TSA says it's making airport screening more 'private'"

The Transportation Security Administration said Wednesday that it has begun installing software to give passengers more privacy when they're screened by some of the full-body scanning machines at airport checkpoints. The TSA says the software for millimeter-wave body-scanning machines, which use electromagnetic waves to screen passengers, replaces a passenger's image with a generic one that will still expose any dangerous items that could be hidden. It also says that the software's automatic detection capability eliminates the need for a TSA agent to look at a passenger's image in a viewing room. Many fliers have objected to having their "naked" images viewed by TSA personnel. "This software upgrade enables us to continue providing a high level of security through advanced imaging technology screening, while improving the passenger experience at checkpoints," TSA Administrator John Pistole said Wednesday. The TSA says it expects all 241 millimeter-wave machines at 40 U.S. airports to be upgraded by the end of the year.

^ It's about time. This technology has been around and used - in Amsterdam. I guess the TSA really came under fire from passengers and are finally listening to us. ^

http://travel.usatoday.com/flights/story/2011/07/TSA-says-its-making-airport-screening-more-private/49540660/1

Conlan Press

Since my sister finally got her book yesterday I can now write about all the problems the publisher/seller gave me. In April I looked at my sister's Amazon Wish List (her birthday is in July) and went through all her suggestions and picked the book that I knew she would really like - it is based on a cartoon she loved as a kid. The book could not be bought on Amazon and so I ordered it through Conlan Press' website. I had four choices for the book: (1) to get just the regular book, (2) to have the author sign the book, (3) to get the author to personalize the book or (4) to get the author to both personalize and sign the book. I chose the last choice and wrote the personalized text in the online order form.

In May (several weeks since I ordered the book) I e-mailed Conlan Press and asked them about my order. A few weeks later (in June) I decided to call the company in CA since I had received no reply from them. I spoke to a guy who from the start gave me nothing but excuses. I told him that the book was a birthday present and that I really needed it. He started telling me that his company was small and that a female employee who handled everything had left suddenly and they were trying to pick up the pieces. He said that since it was for a birthday he would make sure the book was signed and sent that Monday (it was a Friday that I called.) I told him that I was not "Oprah" and did not need all his excuses - just the book. He said he didn't need the "abuse" I was giving him and so I told him I expected the book to be signed and mailed on Monday as he said and when he tried to give me more excuses I hung up on him. A few minutes later he called back and asked if I could be "civil" with him so we could resolve the problem. I was biting my tongue so I wouldn't tell this CA laid-back idiot what I really thought of him. The call ended and I was expecting the book in a few days.

The book never arrived. I was waiting another week to call back and see where it was (since it could have been mailed and just in transit.) I then received a generic e-mail from the company explaining that my book was being delayed because they were a small company and a female employee was getting divorced and had left the company to work on her personal issues. It did not mention the call I had made to them about getting the book that Monday and so I called them again.

I explained everything to the guy I spoke to (including about it being a birthday present and I had been told before that it would be delivered by a certain date and that date had come and passed.) He started out with the same excuse as I have received from everyone at this company - about the female employee. I told him that I had heard that excuse for months, but that this time the mistake was due to a male employee (the one I spoke to the first time I called.) He kept repeating that they were a small company and that it was misplaced, etc. I told him that if they were a small company then it should be easy to know who had made the mistake and to correct it. He did a stupid laugh at that and said that perhaps I had made the mistake. After hearing him blame me I went off on him and told him what I thought of him and his company and told him that I had better receive the book within the next few days or I would file official complaints with anyone and everyone in CA (including the Feds) and then I hung up.

A few days later I got the book - which was personalized and signed, but had the corners pushed in. I wrapped it and mailed it to my sister - who lives in another state. As I mentioned above she finally got the book - her birthday present - yesterday (only 2 weeks after her birthday and 3 months after I ordered it.)

I would suggest that no one buy anything from Conlan Press in California. Throughout my experience with them they have been nothing but unprofessional and arrogant. They do not care about Customer Service or about filling their orders promptly - even though they charged my credit card a few days after I placed the order and didn't send the item to me for 3 months (usually a company charges the card right before they ship it.)The employees I personally dealt with at Conlan Press all seem to have the CA laid-back, I don't care about anything, but everyone should care about me attitude. These are people who have a business and should want to please their customers. Instead they act like old, washed-up hippies.

Credit Watchdog

From Yahoo Finance:

"Your New Financial Watchdog: What It Can Do"

Consumers get a major advocate on July 21, 2011, when a new federal agency officially opens for business as a watchdog over the myriad financial products on the market.The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) will have broad powers to police how banks, credit unions, debt collectors, payday lenders and other financial services companies conduct business with their customers. If products or services are unfair or deceptive, consumers will have a single place to turn for help -- rather than as many as seven different regulators. But it is very much a work in progress. At its launch Thursday, the bureau will be leaderless, though President Obama is set to nominate its first director, Richard Cordray, the former attorney general of Ohio. Cordray will have to be approved by the Senate to take office.

A long list of issues await him, or whoever eventually heads the agency. Here is an alphabetical list of payment industry services and practices that the new consumer watchdog is scheduled to have jurisdiction over and what it may do about them.

Credit Cards

Issue: The most sweeping credit card reforms in history were included in the Credit CARD Act of 2009. Among other things, the law limits fees and when interest can be hiked and how credit cards are marketed to minors and young adults. It also requires issuers to give cardholders advance warning of significant changes to their account terms. However, consumer groups complain that new credit card services and products not specifically banned by the law are cropping up and raising concerns about fairness and deception. Credit cards issued to businesses do not enjoy the same protections given to consumer credit cards.

What the bureau may do: The CFPB will have the authority to enforce the CARD Act provisions, supervise large bank issuers of credit cards, monitor industry practices and new products, collect and review consumer complaints about credit card practices, and, if necessary, draft additional regulations.

How to complain: First, call the credit card issuer to point out the problem and ask for a resolution. If that fails, contact the regulator that oversees the credit card issuer. Consumers can contact the CFPB's Consumer Response Center once it becomes operational.

Credit Counseling Agencies

Issue: Both nonprofit and for-profit companies offer services to help consumers who are drowning in debt create family budgets, cut spending on non-essential items and negotiate debt management plans with creditors to pay off their bills. Federal bankruptcy laws require credit counseling before and after filing for bankruptcy. The Credit CARD Act of 2009 requires credit card issuers to provide toll-free numbers to credit counseling agencies on monthly billing statements.

What the bureau may do: Credit counseling agencies are nonbank providers of financial services. Once a CFPB director is appointed, the agency will have the authority to regulate all credit counseling services to ensure that they are operating fairly.

How to complain: Contact CFPB's complaint system once it is operational. The Federal Trade Commission takes consumer complaints online and through its toll-free number: (800) FTC-HELP. You can also contact your local or state consumer affairs agency.

Credit Repair Services

Issue: Companies that advertise credit repair services to remove negative information from credit reports are often criticized by consumer groups because no one can legally remove accurate negative information from a credit report. Consumers who sign up for these services may find they've been scammed, although there are legitimate credit repair services.

What the bureau may do: The CFPB can collect and review complaints from consumers who are duped by the largest credit repair companies, and enforce existing federal laws banning unfair and deceptive practices. Once a CFPB director is appointed and rules are established to determine what companies are the "largest participants," the agency can supervise those companies and draft new regulations to prevent fraud.

How to complain: Contact CFPB's complaint system once it is operational. The Federal Trade Commission takes consumer complaints online and through its toll-free number: (800) FTC-HELP. You can also contact your local or state consumer affairs agency.

Debit Cards

Issue: Debit cards are the No. 1 noncash payment method in the United States. These payment cards are linked to checking or savings accounts and allow users to avoid carrying cash and quickly pay for everything from lattes to rental cars. However, there are fewer consumer protections on debit cards than on credit cards, and users have to watch out for fees and potential fraud if they are lost or stolen.

What the bureau may do: The CFPB will have the authority to enforce existing federal rules on debit card regulations (including overdraft fees and opt-in requirements). The agency can also monitor industry practices, investigate and sanction violators, collect and review consumer complaints and draft additional rules to address unfair, abusive or deceptive debit card features.

How to complain: First, call the credit card issuer to point out the problem and ask for a resolution. If that fails, contact the regulator that oversees the credit card issuer. Consumers can contact the CFPB's Consumer Response Center once it becomes operational.

Debt Collection Practices

Issue: Complaints about debt collection practices are among the top problems reported by consumers in the Federal Trade Commission's annual complaint registry. The federal Fair Debt Collection Practices Act outlines when and how debt collectors can contact debtors, but abuses continue. The FTC has filed civil suits against some debt collectors, and the industry has attempted to police itself. However, consumers continue to report harassment, threats and other abuses.

What the bureau may do: As of July 21, 2011, the CFPB takes over monitoring and enforcement of the Fair Debt Collection Practices Act. Once a CFPB director is appointed and rules are finalized to determine the "largest participants" in the industry, the agency will have the power to draft new regulations aimed at curbing abusive or deceptive practices in the industry and investigate and sanction violators.

How to complain: Contact CFPB's complaint system once it is operational. The Federal Trade Commission takes consumer complaints online and through its toll-free number: (800) FTC-HELP. You can also contact your local or state consumer affairs agency.

Gift Cards

Issue: Gift cards have become a popular mode of giving for many people, but they can include fees that diminish their purchasing power. The Credit CARD Act of 2009 made gift cards friendlier for consumers by banning dormancy fees during the first 12 months after the card is purchased or from the last time it is reloaded. The law also says cards cannot expire within five years of being issued.

What the bureau may do: The CFPB has jurisdiction over enforcing the Credit CARD Act. The agency can collect and review complaints from consumers, monitor industry practices, and, if warranted, draft new regulations to curb any unfair, abusive or deceptive practices.

How to complain: First call the gift card issuer to ask for a resolution. If that fails, contact the regulator that oversees the card issuer. Consumers can contact the CFPB's Consumer Response Center once it becomes operational.

Interest Rate Caps

Issue: Currently, there is no federal limit on how high banks can set credit card interest rates, although some states cap rates. (National credit unions are limited to 18 percent interest rates on credit cards and 28 percent on short-term and small loans. ) One bank that caters to applicants with bad credit set a 79.9 percent rate on its cards in 2010.

What the bureau may do: The CFPB can monitor interest rates charged by lenders and, if warranted, propose legislation to Congress to cap interest rates. The Dodd-Frank Wall Street reform law specifically prohibits the agency from regulating interest rates.

How to complain: Contact the card issuer first and ask for a lower interest rate. Consider shopping around for cards with lower rates. If you feel your interest is excessively high, contact CFPB's Consumer Response Center once it is operational.

Prepaid Cards

Issue: Prepaid cards are payment cards that are loaded with funds either by users or by third-party payers, such as employers or government agencies. Many prepaid card users have bad credit and may not have access to credit cards as payment options. Consumer groups have raised concerns that prepaid cards do not carry the same consumer protections against fraud losses or in billing disputes with merchants.

What the bureau may do: The CFPB can study industry practices and enforce existing federal regulations regarding payment cards. Once a CFPB director is appointed, the agency can also, if warranted, draft new rules to encompass prepaid cards.

How to complain: First call the card issuer to point out the problem and ask for a resolution. If that fails, contact the regulator that oversees the prepaid card issuer. Consumers can contact the CFPB's consumer complaint system once it becomes operational.

^ It is a few days until this new Credit Watchdog Agency will start working. From what I can see (mostly from this article) the directives of the new Agency seem good, but of course it all depends on how well the directives are carried out and what penalties will be given to companies that violate the rules. This new Agency will only carry weight and succeed if it is given the full authority to do so and uses that authority otherwise it is like Communism - good on paper, bad in practice. ^

http://finance.yahoo.com/banking-budgeting/article/113155/new-financial-watchdog-what-it-can-do-creditcards

Gene Simmons: Family Jewels

I watched several episodes of this show (which I have seen off and on over the past few years.) I have to say I really liked the episodes where they went to Israel and where they went to Fort Hood. In Israel Gene met his half brother and sisters. They also went to all the sites (including Yad Vasham) and were in Jerusalem when there was a bombing. The two episodes showed all aspects of life in Israel.

When they went to Fort Hood Gene and Shannon met with soldiers and their families. Some soldiers were wounded and others were being deployed to Iraq. The episode showed all aspects of military life (the good, the bad and the ugly.) One thing I really liked was how they kept saying that soldiers and their families did not get the recognition or support that they were due (before, during and after their deployments.) Watching this episode made you stop and think about all the men and women who fight and die so that the rest of us do not have to stop our carefree lives. I am a military brat and have always grown up with this kind of life. I have seen first-hand how it feels to have your dad go off to war, worrying about his safety, waiting for his letters as well as how your mom has to become both parents in one. I have experienced this while going to a military-run school in Germany as well as a public school in New York and the completely different attitudes you get from people in both places. Whereas those in the military-run school know exactly what you are going through since they are also going through the same thing those in the public school have no idea what you are going through and most could care less.

These three episodes (Israel and Fort Hood) show the different sides of what everyone in the country should be experiencing nowadays: remembering the past, learning about your family as well as remembering the men and women who sacrifice their lives. Many people do not stop and think about any of these things, but with shows like these it forces many to start.

My Articles

Several people have commented to me about some of the articles I have posted. Since most of the articles I want to post are too long I usually cut them down to basic summaries. If anyone wants to read the whole article I also include the source and url in my post so anyone can find it for themselves.

Debt Ceiling

From Yahoo News:
"Obama vs. Cantor: Tempers flare as debt ceiling negotiations take a dramatic turn"

President Obama and House Majority Leader Eric Cantor engaged in a high stakes test of wills at Wednesday's debt ceiling negotiations in the White House, trading dramatic ultimatums in the most intense round of talks yet. With tempers boiling over, Cantor took his grievances public in an unprecedented press conference after Obama issued a veto threat and told the Republican lawmaker he'd had "enough."

^ I think that both sides (the Democrats and the Republicans) need to stop their back-and-forth propaganda fights and fix this issue. With that said I do think Obama is doing more harm than good in resolving this. All he is doing is making a media show that attacks everyone and is not doing anything of importance. He is acting like a little kid that wants to draw attention away from his ineffectiveness and place blame on others. I think that he needs to put his "big boy pants" on and work with the Democrats and Republicans to find compromises. Two issues I think are important to both sides are taxing the rich (the Republicans should allow this) and not touching Social Security or Medicare (which the Democrats do not want to touch.) Neither side will get everything they want, but the debt ceiling crisis needs to be fixed before August so the US can continue to get out of the recession. If these talks don't fix anything then not only will the US economy suffer worse than it did a few years ago, but the role we earned in 1991 as the world's sole Super Power (economically, politically and socially) will also be lost. ^

http://news.yahoo.com/obama-vs-cantor-tempers-flare-debt-ceiling-negotiations-

US Recognizes Libyan Rebels

From Yahoo News:
"U.S. recognizes rebels as Libya's legitimate government"

The United States Friday recognized Libya's rebel National Transitional Council (TNC) as a legitimate government, a diplomatic boost which could unlock billions of dollars in frozen assets. U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton said Washington would extend formal recognition to the Benghazi-based TNC until a fully representational interim government can be established. "The TNC has offered important assurances today, including the promise to pursue a process of democratic reform that is inclusive both geographically and politically," Clinton said in prepared remarks. "Until an interim authority is in place, the United States will recognize the TNC as the legitimate governing authority for Libya, and we will deal with it on that basis." Clinton's announcement came as the Libya Contact Group, meeting in Istanbul, formally recognized the opposition as the representative of the Libyan people -- sealing its diplomatic status as the successor government to embattled leader Muammar Gaddafi.

^ I see this as a good way to help the rebels fight Gaddafi without using American troops (ie bombing Libya, etc.) It is a civil war and it is mainly up to the rebels to defeat Gaddafi themselves. I do not think NATO and other countries should be bombing Libya (especially because it is not doing anything important to end the conflict.) I want to see Gaddafi removed to power just like most of the world, but the NATO intervention isn't effective. ^

http://news.yahoo.com/u-recognizes-rebels-libya-legitimate-government-125455845.html

Russian Post Thefts

From the BBC:

"Russian anger at parcel thefts goes viral"

But when Sergei Lyapko from Akademgorodok saw an iPad going cheap in an online auction, he snapped it up. The Royal Mail duly despatched the item. But Russian Post failed to deliver it. "The package arrived," Sergei told me by phone from Siberia. "But instead of a tablet computer it contained five stones! "The weight of the parcel was almost the same as what it should have been with the computer, there was just 15 grams difference. I made an official complaint and now there are two investigations ongoing: one by Russian Post, the other by the police." Enraged by the rocks he received, Sergei started his own website called Post Office Thieves, a forum for other Russian victims of mail theft. He has been inundated with stories. Among the victims to make contact with him are:

A customer who bought a cell phone on a Russian internet site - but received, instead, a bar of soap

A man who ordered a video camera - but when the parcel came it contained a bag of sugar

A husband and wife who collected a parcel at their local post office - they had been expecting a Mac Book 3 computer but the package was empty.

"I'm going to collect all these complaints," Sergei told me, "and take them to the Russian authorities, so that they see the need to carry out checks on Russian Post."

It's not only Sergei who wants to clean up Russian Post. At a rowdy press conference in Moscow this week, consumer protection official Alexei Samokhvalov clashed with representatives of Russian Post. He described the situation with parcel deliveries as "alarming" and "farcical". He also claimed the postal service had worked better in Soviet times. Russian Post admits that thefts do occur. But the company strongly defends its record. "Each year we receive, process and deliver more than 1.7 billion letters and 54 million parcels," says the service's spokesperson Raniya Yefimova. "Of those parcels, 6.5 million contain goods from abroad, mainly items from internet shopping sites. Normally, no more than 3% of them go missing."

The Russian mail service says it does all it can to prevent such incidents and - when they happen - to investigate them. "Russia has 380,000 postal workers at 42,000 branches," Ms Yefimova points out. "It's a huge organisation and there are all kinds of people working there. But most of our staff are very honest people. "We don't like our staff being called thieves and bad words like that. Naturally we jump to their defence. Because we, more than anyone, work to prevent stealing."

^ I have written about this before, but it seems the problem continues to get worse (regardless of what the Russian Post says.) I now first-hand at how the Russian Post steals. When I was living in Yaroslavl I recieved an Easter package from my parents and when I too it home I found that it had been opened and things were missing. In this case it was only candy (not electronics as in this article) but it still shows the ineffectiveness of the Russian Post. I also have several close friends that live in different parts of Russia that I continue to send things to and either they are delayed by months or in the case of one of them get to them broken and they have to file a report. I should explain something from the article that most non-Russians wouldn't know. When you get a package in Russia and go to the Post Office to pick it up the official takes the package out of a green sack that is tied (and is supposed to only hold one package.) Then they weigh the package in front of you and show you that it matches the amount mentioned on the Customs Form. That is why the guy in the article got stones - since they were the same weight. It didn't help me because the weight of the packages I got were in pounds and the weight they showed me at the Post Office were in kilograms. The Russian Government needs to do more to ensure that international mail enters and leaves Russia in a timely manner (Amazon stopped shipping to/from Russia because of the lengthy Custom delays) and to make the Russian Post more accountable to their employees that steal. ^

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-14150513

LA Over-Reaction

From Yahoo News:
"Los Angeles braces for weekend of "Carmageddon""

A city renowned for its traffic is about to face a jam of biblical proportions. "Carmageddon" is the name Los Angeles residents are giving the inevitable and likely epic traffic tie-up that will result when a 10-mile stretch of the 405 Freeway is closed for construction from Friday night to Monday morning between two of the nation's busiest interchanges. The unprecedented 53-hour shutdown, expected to delay motorists for hours on alternate routes with ripple effects on about a dozen other major highways, will allow crews to demolish a bridge as part of a $1 billion freeway-widening project. In a sign that few motorists in America's second-largest city take a breezy attitude toward the closure, Los Angeles plans to open its emergency operations center over the weekend. And L.A.'s public transit agency will provide free service on 26 bus lines and three of its five light-rail lines. This being Hollywood, officials have recruited several celebrities to warn motorists of the impending gridlock, including pop star Lady Gaga, newly cast "Two and a Half Men" star Ashton Kutcher and "CHiPs" actor Erik Estrada. Their main message: Stay away, or at least stay off the roads. As Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa once predicted, "It will be an absolute nightmare."

In an "Over-the-405" promotion launched on Wednesday by JetBlue Airways, the discount airline offered special nonstop flights between Long Beach and Burbank for Saturday priced at just $4 each way, taxes and fees included. The 600 seats available on the four flights -- two each going in either direction -- sold out within three hours, the airline said.

^ This is just another example of how people in LA over-react to every little thing. I always hear about how the media there go crazy when even a little bit of rain falls and now the insanity over this highway closure. I think the construction is being done in a good way (very quickly and over the weekend.) People have been told and warned about the construction and can simply stay home or not drive for 3 days. I could never live in LA or CA because they are too soft on everything. ^

http://news.yahoo.com/los-angeles-braces-weekend-carmageddon-004759129.html

TSA Breaches

From USA Today:
"Airport security breaches since 2001 raise alarms"

More than 25,000 security breaches — an average of about seven per day — have occurred at U.S. airports since November 2001, according to newly released Department of Homeland Security documents. "It's clear the airports are not secure," says Rep. Jason Chaffetz, chairman of the House Subcommittee on National Security. More than 14,000 were people entering "limited-access" areas by going through airport doors or passageways without permission, or unauthorized people going from airport buildings to planes, according to the documents. The TSA has defended its policies, citing terrorists' persistent interest in attacking commercial aviation.

Documents being introduced at Wednesday's subcommittee hearing also show:

•6,000 security breaches in which Transportation Security Administration screeners failed to screen, or improperly screened, a passenger or a passenger's carry-on items.

•2,616 security breaches involving an individual gaining unauthorized access to the "sterile area" at screening checkpoints or an exit lane without submitting to all screening procedures and inspections.

•1,026 incidents when someone gained unauthorized access to a sterile area but was "contained" or "constantly monitored" by airport or security personnel until apprehended.

•1,318 incidents in which someone gained unauthorized access from airport perimeters to aircraft operations or security identification display areas and was under constant surveillance until apprehended.

^ This comes as no surprise to me. Last week I flew and had to deal with TSA and saw their disorganization first-hand. A complete overhaul of TSA needs to be done. Right now passengers assume that the TSA are doing their job correctly and this article shows the facts - that they aren't. ^

http://travel.usatoday.com/flights/story/2011/07/Airport-security-breaches-since-2001-raise-alarms/49326312/1